Blue & Yellow Still Life

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, just experimenting with patterns and colors.  The only thing I do know is that I don't want my paintings to be too formal, or too detailed.  It's not important to me to accurately describe what I see.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Blue Still Life 2

I found this little jar in my home when we moved in, forgotten by the previous home owners.  I don't know why it is so dear to my heart.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Gesture Sketch# 3

Couldn't get anything going until the last pose.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Zinnias

Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Reflections 3

I'm working from a previous painting, reworking the composition.
Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Battery Park #7: In the Rain

This one takes the price for the most difficult painting experience. Rain, wind and a broken umbrella made it less than ideal, but looking at New Jersey, there was a beautiful sky.   Those are raindrops you see.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

Red Pear

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Green Pear

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Brown Pear

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Beach Sketches:#8, Fall Day

It's said that every day is a gift, I may not always agree with that, but today certainly was.
The sky was hazy, the water and the horizon blended together.  The ocean was calm, rolling peacefully onto the shore; no more tourists, no threatening storms far away; just the fishermen, the walkers and that strange woman painting.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Cracked Glass Vase

Obviously, the wet on wet technique did not work here.  I'll give it some time to dry and try a different approach.
Like my friend John says: "you've got to post them all!!"

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

The Tree

This painting is all about the tree.  I wanted to make it come forward.  I know what needs to be done to accomplish this, in theory.  Maybe a few more tries.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Battery Park Series: #6 Sunset

Daniel Da Silva

Painting today was a double treat.  First because the sunset was beautiful with an orange sky reflecting on the water and bouncing off the buildings. And..because a friend and atelier mate decided to come out with me and paint.  It was really nice having company, thanks Daniel!!

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

Ribbon Study

One of these days I will finish this one.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

More Daisies

As long as they keep blooming, I'll keep on painting them.
It was difficult painting  daisies against the natural light of a window; I had to make them dark, but my mind kept wanting to paint them white.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Roses in Glass Vase

I love painting my roses and I love painting glass. This one needs more than one day to complete.   The vase is crackled glass and I want to show that, so I'll re-post this when finished.

Oil on canvas.  6 x 9

Gesture Sketch# 2

Monday night sketch.

Oil on canvas board.  6 x 8

Shore Birds

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Old Reliable 2

This is a companion piece to the green apple I painted on August 3rd.  How time flies!!


Oil on canvas.  5 x 5

Battery Park Series: #5 Lamppost

A quick on the spot sketch.

Oil on canvas 4 x 6

Yellow Teacup

I think this painting was more about playing with the background than it was about the teacup.


Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Daisies

I think daisies are meant to go in a blue bottle.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Grape Tomatoes

Tomatoes are my "go to" painting when I'm too tired to come up with a still life set up.
I will retake this picture.




Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Gesture Sketch

Just a quick sketch, practicing gesture.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Fishing

 My dad was an avid fisherman, when I see one, I think of him.  Fishermen make good models, they stand in one spot for a long time totally oblivious to the people around them.
Nice muted colors this afternoon, no light and shadow contrast.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Beach Sketches:#7

An overcast day at the beach.


Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Rainy Day in the City

I went painting to the city, by Battery Park, as I do every Friday.  Today, it was raining.  It was nice to paint without passers by stoping to talk or stare.  Today it was just me, the joggers and the dog walkers.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

Masks

This is a follow up to yesterday's.  I'm thinking of doing more of these, adding more masks.  I find them very interesting, though very hard to paint.  This is probably not a good item for a quick painting.  I just don't know any better, I guess.

OIl on linen.  6 x 6

Venetian Souvenier

I bought several of these masks thinking that one day I would paint them.  The day has come.  I need to paint a lot of these, I found it pretty difficult.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Afternoon Sketch

Just a simple sketch today.  I've been thinking about doing a study of the "big" house across the lake.  I usually avoid putting it in, but one of these days I will have to, if only to accurately record what I see.
Those were my thoughts as I was sketching.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Cut Tomato

This is different for me because I usually don't choose a dark background.  I don't know what moved me today, but I'm happy with the result.  I'll keep an open mind, I want variety in my work.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Honey Pot with Roses

The same set up as yesterday, but today, I included the teapot.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Honey Pot

Sometimes setting up a still life is the hardest part.  Tonight, I tried many different things and nothing worked.  I finally settled on this honey pot which I've been wanting to paint for a long time.


Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Battery Park Series #4: The Colgate Clock

This clock is in Jersey City where the Colgate toothpaste plant used to be.  It's been a landmark since 1924 and it's always on time.  Since Colgate left Jersey City, it sits on an empty lot.  I hope it stays there for a long time, but I'm not sure how long an empty lot overlooking the Hudson will last.
 I was lucky to catch  sunset today after class.  The paint is not as thick as I usually apply, I did that to facilitate bringing the painting home.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Summer Flowers 3

Truth is that I probably planned this still life back in May, when I bought the packet of seeds.  Just about everything I buy, plant or collect and, most people, are a potential still life or model.  When I'm not painting, I'm thinking about what to paint.
The glass with the daisy is left over from a previous set up.  I had a hard time with it, so I thought I try it again, still not happy.  But the overall result is pleasing.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Beach Sketches:Last One for the Summer of 2011

All good things come to an end.  I'm officially leaving Brigantine.  Even though I come back all the time, Summer at the beach is over until next year.  I'm please with my paintings, if only because I painted them.  I spent a long time wishing that I could paint the ocean.  All I had to do was get started.  I'm so grateful for this time to spend painting, to keep learning and evolving.
I'm looking forward to: Beach Sketches: Fall.

The Marina

I went back to the same spot as yesterday by the marina in Brigantine, NJ.
Here, I tried to capture the reflections on the water without getting too involved with the buildings, or as not "too involved" as I can manage.
I love the colors.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Elks

I was busy working on a larger plein air painting, when I looked to my right and saw the Elks building and its reflection.  Good thing I had an extra canvas with me.
This is very unfinished, once I had the water to my satisfaction, I was done.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Dark Clouds

The sky looked a little threatening and the ocean was agitated, beautiful to paint.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Beach Sketches:Clouds

Enjoying the last few warm days at the beach.
The late afternoon sky was truly beautiful.  I had to paint a cloud study.  I loved what I saw so much, no need to change anything.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Daisy

I'm happy that daisies are in season and I shall be painting lots of them.
I had a hard time with the glass container and making the daisy stand out against the background.  This is the kind of painting where I could work for hours and still not get it to my satisfaction, and the next time I could paint it without a problem.  So, I'll leave it alone.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

School Days

I heard today is the first day of school in my town, so I thought I paint something to honor the day.  I guess most kids won't recognize this.
I wanted to paint something geometric to work on my color strokes. I know, is tilted, too late..not changing it!

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Tomato with Flower

I'm reading this book, I think the title is:  Small Canvas, Big Pictures, or something like that.  Anyway, the artist paints this elaborate still lifes and landscapes on tiny canvases, 2x3's!!!  I find it very difficult to paint small, 5x7's, so I thought I challenge myself to put more than 1 item into a small canvas; not as small as hers, but small enough.  This is the final product.  Nice little painting, bad photo, I'll retake it tomorrow.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Benny

I used to paint my dog Vader all the time, he was my constant painting companion.  If we were outside, he would assume a protective position; if we were inside, he would go to sleep right behind me.  I think dogs are great people.
When I saw this picture of my friend Ellen's dog, Benny, I just had to paint it.  There's something about the sweetness and innocence of his gaze that inspired me.
About the craft, painting animals is not easy.  Their markings, colors and features, just like a persons, are different in every individual.  I tried to capture Benny's gesture, it might not exactly look like him. Sorry Benny, I tried.


Oil on linen.  5 x 7

From my Garden 2

It seems the more I paint, the less satisfied I am with the results.  Therefore, I keep working on a small painting a lot longer than I originally planned.  This one for example, by the time the picture was completed, it seemed that the rose was too overpowering and it needed to be toned down.  Then, the leaves had to be adjusted to conform with the flower and because I was painting by a window, the light changed.  So now, I have to wait until tomorrow.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Beach sketches:#6

I love doing these!!!
I know... the guy should not be on the edge of the painting looking away.  When I put him in I thought I would have room for the fellow he was talking to, but he would have been too close.  So here it is, a beach sketch with a guy wishing that  he was in the previous painting.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Marigolds with Plum

I never thought of my marigolds as a flower to bring indoors to paint, but I needed something strong enough to stand up against a dark plum. These marigolds looked very dense to me.   My goal for this painting was twofold; first,  I wanted to work on balance in a composition.  I didn't want the heaviness of the plum to "tilt" the picture.  And second, I once heard a teacher said to one of his students to be careful with plums or they'll look like a hole in the canvas.  Well, that sounded like a challenge to me, and I've wanted to paint a plum ever since.
There are some minor issues that I'll fix later, but for now, I'm pretty happy with this painting.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Late Afternoon

The days are getting shorter, I painted this between 5 and 6pm.  Summer goes by so fast!!  I miss it already.
My goal was to capture the movement of the sky and the sweep of the clouds.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Blue Still Life

I'm reading a book on the life and art of Diego Velazquez (1599-1661).  He's one of the great master painters.  A recurring comment by those lucky enough to have seen his works in person, is that you can see the joy that he derived from every stroke of color that he placed on the canvas.
Reading this inspired me to paint today.  Of course, Velazquez would not choose to paint a still life like this one, but this isn't a master copy.  I painted the colors I love, in a simple set up with my favorite objects.  I had a wonderful, uncomplicated time.  Can you tell?

Oil on linen.  6 x 6